Customer Reviews

Enterprise Architecture Planning: Developing a Blueprint for Data, Applications and Technology

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
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This is an excellent book outlining the process, content and pit-falls associated with EAP (a classic for consultants and professionals). It is important to remember that it presents a management framework not an implementation framework. I look forward to the next release -I hope it includes something on object modelling and UML and the need to differentiate between functional and competency based modelling (Business Architecture) when designing enterprise information systems for the future. This book is a foundation and a "must read" for any budding Enterprise Architect.

I purchased this book with it was first published and it greatly influenced my thinking and has continued to do so to this day. There is a large caveat I want to share before continuing - be careful of the Zachman Framework because if you do base your enterprise architecture on it you will soon discover that making changes is a tedious process that ripples across the matrix. That said, I continue to believe in the basic concepts and components of the framework, and I also think that it is an excellent way to gain a view of an enterprise when you are attempting to model it.

Caveat aside, the techniques and many of the elements of the framework provided in this book are invaluable to creating any enterprise framework or initiating and managing a process improvement program. While Chapter 1 describes enterprise architecture planning in the context of the Zachman Framework, all of the subsequent chapters can be applied to any framework, which what makes this book as valuable today as it was a decade ago. Specifically, Chapter 3 (Planning), 5 (Enterprise Survey), 8 (Application Architecture), and 10 (Implementation Plan) are among the best of the best practices for approaching any project that is enterprise-wide in scope. For that reason I continue to keep my worn copy of this book nearby as a reference.

Despite my views on the Zachman Framework and some of its limitations and challenges, you may not have a choice - if you are on a team that is refactoring your enterprise in accordance with the Zachman Framework I recommend that you visit the Zachman Institute (see ASIN B00016NEXI) and augment the decade old material in this book with the up-to-date content available on that site.

If you are still in the exploratory stage and are considering this book because you want to learn more about either the Zachman Framework or EAP I recommend that you not only purchase this book (for the reasons cited above), but that you also read "How to Survive in the Jungle of Enterprise Architecture Framework: Creating or Choosing an Enterprise Architecture Framework" (ASIN 141201607X).

This is an excellent book. It presents a complete plan of how to implement a business oriented strategy planning program that will align IT with the strategies being pursued by your organization. This book does not provide all of the answers. It points out, correctly and in an easy-to-read format, that you, as an IT executive, must adapt the program presented here to your own situation.

However, the program outline is more extensive and more valuable than any I've seen before. It is also better than the program outline that I've personally seen delivered by top name consulting firms.

Coupling this book with practicle experience, and readings on both total quality management, and marketing will provide the budding planner with a successful intellectual tool set for creating an improved IT/Business alignment.

Dan Ashley, PhD dcashley@aol.com

I initially read this book at the start of my career as a systems analyst. The Zachman framework presented a great way to think about the relationships between systems, data, processes and business. Later on, as a project manager, it provided a more useful tool for understanding the importance of architecture in developing systems. In addition, it applies to architects and senior IT managers who want to make the most of their investment.

The writing displays the academic rigor of the author's background, as well as the applicability that comes from his wealth of experience. Perhaps this blend is best typified in the only application I've seen of reapplying (rewriting?) Deming's 14 points of management for an application in IT.

Perhaps what separates this book from most is how well it's held up over time. At 10 years old, it hasn't aged. If anything, in today's age of complexity, the relevance of a coherent understanding of architecture is more important than ever. This book will help you understand it.

The book focuses on the practical steps necessary to perform successful EAP rather than on theoretical concepts and is therefore useful as a guide in EAP projects. It aligns with the Zachman Framework for I.S. Architectures and that alignment is explained in the book. The forward was written by John Zachman and he gives it high marks (of course).

The book addresses the most difficult aspects of EAP--how to handle the political hurdles and human issues that can stop an EAP project dead in its tracks. In doing so, the author demonstrates keen insight and experience with technology projects in business. It's not just about those aspects, but they are included for the benefit of anyone going through an EAP process.

The book takes the logical approach of starting with the definition of the business according to its functions (business value chain), moving next to the high-level, conceptual definition of the data that is required by the business. It then uses that data model to define (not design) the conceptual application architecture and then, in turn, the conceptual technology architecture. There is a clear distinction between the conceptual architectures and the more concrete designs that occur at the lower levels of the Zachman Framework. The author makes a convincing argument that this high-level definition needs to be created before the lower-level designs or the efforts will fail to produce the desired results. Samples of reports, such as a Business Model and a Data Architecture report, are provided in the appendix. I highly recommend this book.

Other reviews of this book are valid in that Enterprise Architecture Planning is an invaluable resource for developing an enterprise-wide architecture. However, this excellent book is also an invaluable resource for the service delivery practitioner.

While the Zachman Framework is a recognized approach to enterprise architectures, it is also a excellent tool to anchor processes and procedures for delivering service and support for applications. The notion of application profiles are an excellent paradigm from which to develop problem management processes in support of enterprise applications.

Ideas and concepts set forth in the book are aimed at the enterprise architect, but can also be refactored into building blocks for a service delivery plan that is tightly integrated into applications delivery.

The above statement is based on my definitions, which are: service delivery is the set of processes that IT provides support for reliability, availability and infrastructure support that is aligned to business imperatives and requirements. Applications delivery is the processes employed to manage business requirements and translate them into products (developed or purchased).

This book provides a sound framework for achieving the above objectives, which I am sure were not the authors' primary intent. So, while this book provides the enterprise architect with a proven approach based on a proven framework, it has additional value. Specifically, it also provides the production services and operations functions within IT with a valid approach to integrating service delivery with applications delivery, and aligning them to business requirements.

This seminal book captures it all. I have used this book as an invaluable reference on enterprise architecture projects for NASA, EPA, FAA and the Marine Corps.

This book lays out the entire littany of everything an EA team needs to do to become effective. It is a complete planning methodology. Where the real value of the information in this book comes in is in diligently following and implementing its tenets and processes.

Most organizations fail in EA for one reason - they lack executive buy-in. If you have executive buy-in, then you have most likely succeeded in educating your leadership about the importance and the value of EA. Making it real and practical will be a by-product of executive buy-in which should also come packaged with adequate funding and resourcing.

Countless studies have shown that organizations that invest in EA and have a mature EA program reap the rewards. You would not build a skyscraper without a blueprint; why build an organization without one?

This book belongs in the library of every serious enterprise architect. Without it you are missing the essentials of this critical discipoline.

I highly recommend it!

Kevin Brett
CEO, Kevin Brett Studios, Inc.
Author: The Way of the Martial Artist: Achieving Success in Martial Arts and in Life!

Former lead architect: FAA/ATO, EPA and currently lead architect on the USMC Enterprise Architecture project.

The Way of the Martial Artist: Achieving Success in Martial Arts and in Life!

If you deal with Enterprise architecture, you must have it. Being responsible for EA projects, you must get some other recent ones to complete it's view from 1993.

(spanish review below)

This book is VERY GOOD as a help to understand Enterprise Architecture, one of the key elements of any IT Systems Plan for a business.

It describes what is Enterprise Architecture, how it should drive the creation of an integrated IT systems plan for either a big corporation or a small business and the steps to conduct a Enterprise Architecture Plan.

It comes as well with useful references to audit the current status of and recommend future direction for Enterprise Architecture, Data Architecture, Application Portfolio, IT Infrastructure, etc.

The only drawback it is due not to the book but to the time going by: it was written 15 years ago (1995) and that's a lot in Information Systems. It should be refreshed with many new concepts like SOA, massive usage of middleware, clould computing and many other IT practices.

Anyway, I do recommend it.

Alex Ballarin @ Cynertia Consulting. Barcelona. Spain.

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Este libro es MUY BUENO para ayudar a entender qué es una Arquitectura Empresarial (Enterprise Architecture), uno de los elementos básicos de cualquier Plan Director de Sistemas para un negocio.

Describe que es la Enterprise Architecture, como debería guiar la creación de un Plan Director de Sistemas, integrado y efectivo, para una gran corporación o una PYME. Además, repasa con detalle los pasos necesarios en un proyecto de Enterprise Architecture.

Viene con un buen conjunto de material de referencia que te ayuda a preparar una auditoría del estado actual de la Enterprise Architecture, Arquitectura de Datos, Portfolio de Aplicaciones, Infraestructura IT, etc.

La única parte negativa no se debe al libro, sinó al paso inexorable del tiempo: se escribió en 1995, hace 15 años, y por tanto está algo desfasado por el rápido avance de los sistemas de informacvión. Debería refrescarse con muchas de las tendencias que han aparecido durante la última década, como la adopción creciente de SOA, el uso masivo del middleware, Java, Cloud Computing y muchas otras.

En cualquier caso, lo recomiendo vivamente.

Alex Ballarin @ Cynertia Consulting. Barcelona. Spain.

This is a must-have book for Enterprise Architects. Application designers, aspiring to be architects, may also read this book. Certainly one of the best EAP books based on the Zachman framework.